After Court
by Jateshi
Summary: While trapped in the Dark Kingdom Zoisite and Kunzite nurse a romance into fruition, although neither of them come out and say the words I love you to the other. ZoiKunz, approx. PG


**Title**: After Court  
**Pairing**: Zoisite/Kunzite  
**Fandom**: Sailor Moon (anime)  
**Rating**: PG  
**Word Count**: 1,167  
**Warnings**: Zoisite, unlike in the DiC dub, is not a girl. This is a male/male relationship, no matter how good of hair Zoisite has, and contains snarky thoughts concerning a stupid Queen (Beryl) and a meddling Moon Queen (Serenity) and Earth.  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own Zoisite or Kunzite - Naoko Takeuchi, the founder of my love for anime, does instead. More pointedly, Naoko and Toei Animation own the anime Sailor Moon world that this fic is based off of and I'm a poor college student (and a sick one!) and have no money. Don't sue me, I want to keep my markers.  
**Summary**: _Done for the 30kisses challenge and using prompt #8, 'Our own world.'_ While trapped in the Dark Kingdom Zoisite and Kunzite nurse a romance into fruition, although neither of them come out and say the words "I love you" to the other. 

**After Court**

Time passed differently in the Dark Kingdom, warped by the energies that had both formed the dimension and held it away from the rest of the universe. As far as he could tell, using a small expenditure of his own resources used to check instead of pulling from the more full but readily-watched reserves of energy their Queen held, it had been at least a few hundred years since he'd last gotten the urge to check. Which, if his mental reckoning was correct, meant it had been at least five centuries since _that_ day.

Anger - a constant companion to every one of them held in limbo by that meddling Moon Queen's sacrificial act - rose in his soul, a warm fire manifesting as sparks floating above his fingers, flickering like sprites around him in an unbridled display of emotion. Here in his quarters, in his own manor located far away from the hustle and bustle of the full Court, he could indulge in a pique of temper with no recourse. There were no youma tittering just outside of his vision simply waiting for some new information to report back to Beryl about his behavior. Here, ensconced in the safety of a castle and lands molded and created from his will, neither Nephrite or Jedite could teleport in unannounced to further inflame his temper with their jests. And it was here, breathing in the barely perfumed air of sakura trees which were somewhere off to the side of his vision, that he harnessed his temper and channeled the excess energy to a more useful purpose than a torrent of flames around his palm.

The only person who had ready access to his manor was hopefully going to be wrapping up his formal presentation to their Queen, and he wouldn't be happy with a needless expenditure of energy that could be put to a better use. As the highest-ranking general of the Dark Kingdom, Kunzite was elected to update their liege on their progress in attacking and destroying the seal placed around their realm. From experience, since Zoisite could remember the last fifty or so meetings and the emotional state his lover had returned in, Kunzite would arrive in a temper - it was as predictable as Beryl issuing them impossible demands.

Seemingly summoned by the though of his name, or more likely that the audience with Beryl did end just about when Zoisite suspected it would, he felt the signature stirring of energy his mind named 'Kunzite.' A swirl of purple-laced black energy, beginning as a ball and then expanding to take the size of a tall man, faded as he arrived, the wind his teleportation incorporated flaring his white cape out behind his pale grey uniform and causing his waterfall of white hair to whip about his face like tendrils of energy. The wind died, disappearing with the end of his teleportation, and Kunzite brushed a white-gloved hand across his chest to smooth the impeccably cut uniform jacket creaseless.

Ballads filled with calf-eyed shepherds and their "eternal loves" dictated that as soon as he'd noticed Kunzite's irate arrival that he'd rush over, either throwing his arms around the taller man or making soothing noises and slowly enfolding him in a hug of some kind. Of course, those same ballads also said he'd be a _she_ with voluptuous curves, a soft voice, and a diminutive attitude subservient to his manly-man of a lover. He'd also be docile and devoted and a simpering idiot, but that was what those ballads dictated.

'Unconventional' was an apt term that suited Zoisite though, so instead of any foolish display of compassion he calmly caught a glass of chilled red wine he'd floated over to himself, the soles of his boots touching down to the marble floor as he relaxed his energy and dropped his levitation spell. Wordlessly Kunzite stalked across the room and snatched the second (waiting) floating goblet from mid-air, deftly swirling the wine against the glass before raising it in a silent toast to his 'host' with a smirk. Zoisite, returning the salute to his 'guest,' allowed a flicker of a smile to cross his lips before they both sipped the wine.

Only when they'd both finished their wine did Zoisite move close, taking the empty goblet from Kunzite's hand, letting his fingers stay longer than necessary to brush beyond the cuff of Kunzite's glove and touch bare skin. "So," he kept his voice pitched for polite conversation, bright green eyes watching Kunzite's tanned face and pale, ice-blue eyes with peripheral vision, "what shrill new order did Beryl bark today?" Kunzite tensed at the question, as Zoisite had known he would, so the younger general gave a step and floated around the taller man, a ghosting touch under Kunzite's chin and then down his right side followed by a light chuckle. "Something impossible, no doubt, since she never helps us."

Catching Zoisite's hand, Kunzite pulled the lithe man against his back, anchoring him to the ground with no effort expended at all. "Someone should tell you to be more careful with your tongue, Zoisite," he chided gently, the soft tone coating the harsh words and taking the sting from them. Pulling the man around, catching both of his wrists and holding his arms up so that Zoisite was firmly against his groin now, quaking in his arms, Kunzite smiled down almost cruelly at the man. "If you're not careful, someone like Nephrite might overhear those sorts of comments...and then what could happen?" This was a semi-lesson, Kunzite staring down into his eyes as if impressing the meaning directly into his mind.

Coyly looking away, a hard smirk on his lips belying the mock-intimidated way he held himself, Zoisite moved against Kunzite. "Certainly not _this_, at least," he countered, lifting his head up with a burst of energy until his eyes were level with Kunzite's, impishly pressing his lips against the other man's. He was bored with the supposed lesson and anyways, they had better things to do than banter possibilities back and forth which might never come to pass. "And if you wanted to give a lesson, there's a better place for it than _here_," he continued smoothly, still floating to match his height with Kunzite's, "in our own little world. Lessons are for Court, High General, not for this sanctuary of mine."

Lips upturned in a smirk as Kunzite let out a small laugh, catching Zoisite in another longer kiss before he let his wrists go. "From the mouths of babes comes wisdom, does it? My little zephyr, what would you suggest we do, hrm?" _Now_ Kunzite was relaxed, no longer keyed up from the meeting with their Queen. Now Zoisite laced fingers through the silky-white strands of hair, pretending to speak into his ear. Now Kunsite gave a real chuckle, the playful sound one of the few ones _he_ was the only recipient of, and now they could put aside the worries from Court for however long they wanted.

----


End file.
